Sustainable municipal waste management in North Macedonia

North Macedonia faces significant challenges in building an efficient and sustainable waste management system. Limited infrastructure, insufficient funding, and low public awareness have contributed to environmental degradation, impacting both health and economic development. With the right partnerships and commitment, however, solutions are within reach.

Since 2021, SALAR International has been implementing the ‘Sustainable Municipal Waste Management Services’ project, which, inter alia, aligns with:

• North Macedonia’s EU accession process
• The country’s decentralisation reforms
• Sweden’s Results Strategy for the Western Balkans (2021–2027)

Running from March 2023 to February 2027, the current phase of the project strengthens the capacity of local governments to deliver sustainable waste management, combining technical expertise, inter-municipal collaboration, and policy support.

Building capacities towards regional waste management system (RWMS)

The project supports implementation of the integrated Regional Waste Management System (RWMS), designed to:

• Promote inter-municipal cooperation through joint planning and service delivery
• Close non-compliant landfills and replace them with regional sanitary landfills
• Strengthen municipal ownership and capacity to manage new responsibilities

Multi-level engagement

The project works with all levels of government. On the local level the project engages with municipal administrations, local public utility companies and inhabitants in six municipalities in Pelagonija and South-West regionto deliver EU-aligned waste services, build staff skills, engage citizens, and integrate gender perspectives.

Secondly, the project collaborates with the Association of Units of Local Self-Governments (ZELS) to share lessons nationally and mainstream inclusive policies.Thirdly, on the national level, the project is partner with the with the Ministries of Environment and Local Self-Government to foster dialogue, coordination, and inter-municipal cooperation.

Key achievements so far

Since the project started in 2022, several key achievements have been accomplished:

• Operationalized regional waste plans and supported 15 Local Action Plans
• Piloted waste separation initiatives for households and businesses
• Updated regulations and restructured local practices
• Provided assessments and guidelines, including landfill fire protection, recyclables markets, and institutional capacity needs
• Trained municipal staff and educators, introduced school waste education, and organized study visits to Sweden
• Developed a methodology for gender mainstreaming in municipal services
• Strengthened public engagement and fostered regional cooperation
  

Next steps

Looking ahead, the project will:

• Continue Local Action Plan implementation and support the development of new regional plan
• Promote the establishment of a regional municipal board and utility company to operationalise the planned new regional landfill (due in 2027)
• Promote recycling and circular economy practices
  

Through capacity-building, collaboration, and policy reform, the project is helping North Macedonia transition toward a cleaner, more sustainable, and inclusive regional waste management system.

Yama Omari
Project Manager
yama.omari@skr.se

Emil Angelov
Team Leader
emil.angelov@salarinternational.se